New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-27
QUICKER THAN A WINK.
HOME PHOTOGRAPHY AT NIGHT.

| WORK by AMATEURS.
Tho field for amateur photographers has recchuy
been cxtcndcd-crcatcd, indeed, for such OF them as
have no leisure in the day tlme-by the development
OF an artificial light for use at home, by means o.
which photographs can be c at night as readily as
by day, and under much moro certain conditions An
advantage Of this light which rcnders 1t avaliapie "
every amateur Is its simplicity It requires absoiuteiy
no mechanism nothing but the stuff" brick to lay
1t on AMI a taper to touch 1t of with. The world OF
amateurs, which Is a much larger world than many
suppose IA greatly Interested about tho discovery
and within the last month experiments with the mag
nesium light" have occupied tho attention OF the en-
thusasts whose friends have often unfcelingy called
them cranks
This light Is produced by burning small quantity
Of magnesium, which gives brill ant, intense ana
powerfully actinic Illumination Experiments with
magnesium made several years ago, but the re-
suits were unsatisfactory. The material was at first
used In the form Of wire which lighted and con-
sumod, suffering and swapping This gave light
intense enough to photograph by, but before quantity
sufficient for the purpose had been consumed the SITTER
blinded by tho continued glare blnkcd and the remain
ing illumination photographed the blink. The operator
lucky II the wire did not cun up and sting MIN
like scorpion. The small diameter Of the flame gave
a light that not dlfused, and in consequence the
pilot ographc result consisted Of strongly c0ntrasted
high lights and dense shadows.
AMATEURS AS INVENTORS.
method of utilizing this light. One OF the claims OK
amateur photographers is that It Is they who make the
most useful Photographic discoveries and this Is as
crbcd to their belonging to the class OF lesureIy men
who have time to experiment. to the broaier knowledge
general chemistry possessed by such Of them as are
scientific, to their being moro intelligent than the
average professional photographer, and to the fact
that being amateurs they afford to make as many
unsucccssf u experiments need be, without imparng
tho lcrodclty of their bread and butter
DR.. IL. G.. Plfard, Of this city, lea ling member Of
tho New-York Society Of Amateur Photographers, re-
Gently the idea that If the requisite quantity
Of magnesium could be burned all at once, the light
would be sufficient to produce "lnsi an aneOus' photo
graph the sitter for which could blink at the light
quickly enough ccord blink well his features
tho sensltlzed plate and that the area of flame from
such a combustion would difuse the Hight and soften
the edges OF he shadows. The rapidly with which
Instantaneous plate work was illustrated few
yeas ago long the dry plate perfected when
a condemned Government mule at WlllctFs Point was
executed, not by powder and shot, but
by having his head blown off with dynamite
The photographer caught the demolition OF the mule
head but, although the animal seemed to the spectators
drop Instantly, the photograph indicated nothing I'M
usual except nervous witch oi the tail anu siig't
Weakening VI the fore knees.
In order to burn his magnesium rapidly, DR.. rhard
powdered II and laid 1t On thin mat OF gun cotton
hi, was placed brick Or plato with newspaper
spread to catch the masne,ia powder resulting from tho
combustion ami touched OH SAFELY with a wax taper
The camera, uncappcd after the lights were put out
OF turned Gown. caught tho image nsantaneously and
with extraordinary modelling and softLess
BETTER THAN DAYLIGHT
Tie perfect control of this light t. after IT'S adapta
billy to night work homo, its great advantage
The operator always knows exactly how strong MS
light has been, and conscq lenty knrvs precisely no"
~ treat his late In developing the image Daylight
10 ycry uncertain and very deceptive the time VI dayi
tie season Of the year, and many other details having
10 be- considered quite irrespective Of the apparent
Illuminating power u tho daylight, which Is decidedly
different thing from the actiuc power that gives 1t
Photographic value with the magnes ium light 1t Is
always $50 many grains u magnesium, 80 much
nght7 II the lcus Is stopped down. the amateur
can calculate to grain how much mote power lie
must burn to grt tie same result
For taking pallor gWups such Hight Is nvauaoo
A sdc lslt ON a wimloW Is always hard TO manage
and Few an atcurs IN position to cut holes in their
mohcr their laudlldlco, even their wives ceilings
IN order TO get "studo llsht' The magnesium Il1ht
can DC turned on, or blown on from any desired
quarter Obtrus.yc and unwclcomc daylight from
windows unfortunately placed need no niger drive the
4. aicur Wild In If, cudravOrs 10 avoid IT, "slttcr@
rarely available the day time, be had In plenty
At ct. AMI that, too dressed IN their best apparel
TIE family life rontrcs about thc fireplace az night. AMI
t. cIa1 cfc-ilc home gl)lpius- ar thus a @l within
,a4atcurs reach AT once The n~tau ancons nature u
ih. new sht ayos all tllc-lmc posing the domestic
operator bothcrs until hc l. ready 10 shoot
when De down, the NgIt, and hlalc, away. The
cal-rabr. ti'r familiar oO.uet- with easy chairs AMI
people ia Them the tIpy kissing back good night
fom TIE h,li-pcurl dool-a thousand ana one efuuIs
and Characteristic combinations are thu, added ~ the
amateur OlrI,.
COSTUME PORTRAITS.
NJ lady who has amateur lp the ltmly noel iorcsO
the delight Of Aa>Ius her costumes photographed OF
need don them on purpose, for the brief moment she
tailcs Nhc waiting for her 'ariaS' Will suffice Tor the
young ar.Is', who may develop h, pate while She l.
al th' ball. auI with tho AID OF he morning sunlight
can make prut before she is W. and show her AT Gsr
breakfast table exactly how shc looked and thus
justify the sincerity Of TIE last sAts compliments
which She may have doubted at the tine
really experiment, with the us't have been made
with largo groups. ToOm-iu Of People, for subjects,
with Amol only by the necessity of using Large
len, stops" for nstantancous work which gi'e small
,cpth Of definition, rqullns that the subjects shall not
bc far behind IA front OF gwen line. but card
parties, with the subcct- separated by oniy the "Ith
Of 4 table, aud sim.ar groups ha'c been taken Win
entire success Wedding ard reception groups a. wei
a, amateur thcaIicals now come within tho scope OF
the domestic camera The portraits resulting from the
u.ln have been wonderfully good and for copying
picture, such as paintings, enc, ayuS-. ctc.--t Is
unsurpassed 10y Of The accuracy with which the
light may hc measured AMI controlled lho latest
experiments I'm this direction indicate that the new
Hight is OF searching character A. to bring out
I'm the cop~l picture unsupported details which ordinary
ll,ht would have revealed The develop mcnt 81
the magnesium light Is REGARDED by amateurs a. more
than uoubllug the opportunities for the practice OF
their ttvorito hobby and they ara CORE pondiney
eralcfu to pr lriaId Tho iuqulsuNc doctor Is a.
fcaly In search OF nONctc, In connection with his
n.lt and thl,k, he has found certain Advantages IN
firing the Charge out of "A pistol which I'm his later
experiments hr has done nui>ccr>y but most OF MS
fellow member, stick 10 the "tOuch and go method
the benefit of amateurs who are de,ous or chpct
"a lt.rlf h
T. ~ stop Is ntcHn grains Oh mag
nc-lum sprrad twenty grains OF gun cotton
Tho practical value The new light may De lhlcrrcd
from the fact that IA local photographer mas diieay
adopted making tho photos' Aph OF 'ou"rI'",